Apple has reportedly finalized iOS 4.3 and may even release it at the iPad event on March 2nd, according to a BGR report.

One of our Apple sources has just informed us that it looks like Apple has finalized the code for its upcoming iOS 4.3 release. The build, we’re told, is 8F190 for those keeping track. Maybe we’ll see this release unify the Verizon iPhone OS-wise as well? We’ll probably see this in the wild next week if we had to bet…

Apple has yet to officially confirm an event next week, but according to Swisher, the company “seems poised” to take the wraps off the long-anticipated iPad 2, with the event “likely” to take place at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

While Apple hasn’t said a peep about the new iPad yet, rumors peg it to be both thinner and lighter than the 1.5-pound, 0.52-inch original, with at least one camera for video chat, a souped-up processor, and more RAM.

There had also been talk that the iPad 2 would arrive with an improved screen similar to the “retina” display on the current iPhone 4, but a recent report in the Wall Street Journal shot down those rumors, noting that the new display may “disappoint customers” hoping for a “significant improvement” in resolution.

The news comes just days before the arrival of the Motorola Xoom, a tablet with a 10.1-inch display that runs on Android 3.0 “Honeycomb,” the new tablet-centric version of Google’s mobile Android platform.